Smoking, Alcohol Recommendations Particularly Relevant for Those With MS

Smoking was associated with increased odds of being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), and high alcohol consumption was associated with more pronounced retinal features of neurodegeneration in people with MS, according to a cross-sectional study published in JAMA Network Open.

“The presented findings suggest that current recommendations for the general population regarding smoking and moderating alcohol consumption may be particularly relevant for individuals who have been diagnosed with MS or who are at risk for the disease,” researchers advised.

The study focused on 71,981 people in the United Kingdom: 179 people with MS, 20,065 healthy controls, and 51,737 controls with comorbidities. Researchers were interested in understanding modifiable risk factors associated with MS and neurodegeneration.

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Compared with healthy controls, modifiable risk factors linked with MS diagnosis were current smoking (researchers reported a 3.05 odds ratio), moderate alcohol intake (0.62 odds ratio), and obesity (1.72 odds ratio). Compared with the controls with comorbidities, the only modifiable risk factor associated with MS diagnosis was smoking (2.30 odds ratio), according to the study.

Regarding neurodegeneration in individuals with MS, high alcohol intake was associated with a thinner macular ganglion cell layer and inner plexiform layer (mGCIPL) of the retina, whereas there was no association with smoking and a thinner mGCIPL.

“Paradoxically, moderate alcohol intake was associated with a lower odds of having been diagnosed with MS,” researchers reported. “The associations of smoking and alcohol use with mGCIPL thickness may be different in individuals with MS compared with control individuals.”

Further research is needed to confirm the study results, particularly the complexity around alcohol consumption and severity of MS, the authors advised.

Reference

Kleerekooper I, Chua S, Foster PJ, et al. Associations of alcohol consumption and smoking with disease risk and neurodegeneration in individuals with multiple sclerosis in the United Kingdom. JAMA Netw Open. Published online March 1, 2022. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.0902